Families of methanol poisoning victims ‘shocked’ by £95 fine handed to Laos hostel staff
Outrage as Laos hostel staff handed £95 fine after methanol poisoning tragedy
- Families of two Australian teenagers, Bianca Jones and Holly Morton-Bowles, who died from methanol poisoning in Laos in November 2024, have expressed outrage over the "disgraceful" fines issued to those responsible.
- Workers at the Nana backpackers hostel in Vang Vieng, where six tourists died after consuming tainted alcohol, received fines of approximately £95 (A$185) which the families called an "absolute injustice".
- The families criticised both the Laotian authorities for not informing them about the court case and the Australian government for a perceived lack of communication, which they claim "made an unbearable grief even worse".
- They learned of the sentencing through other poisoning victims from Denmark and the UK, not from official channels, and are urging the Australian government to secure justice for their daughters.
- Australia's Foreign Minister Penny Wong has stated she communicated to Laotian authorities that Australia expects "full accountability" and that charges should reflect the seriousness of the tragedy.
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